Students will be able to get a head start in their career thanks to a new work experience initiative at the Berkeley Institute launched by the Bermuda Education Network (BEN).
BEN has teamed up with a number of the Island's top financial services firms to offer a new programme this summer which allows pre-college students in a maths-related profession to gain invaluable work experience and an opportunity to take GCSE maths.
The students will spend mornings at one of the companies between Monday July 12 and Friday July 23. In the afternoons they will take maths classes with Sandy Darrell, director of maths at the Berkeley Institute.
They will continue to have classes on Mondays and Wednesdays during August and revision sessions in September and October - all leading towards taking their maths GCSE examination in November.
The concept of the Maths Springboard is to expose students to maths-related professions for two weeks, enabling them to pick up general "work ready" skills and learn "office etiquette". The programme starts with a seminar to be hosted by PartnerRe, which will introduce the students to Bermuda's financial industry.
During their internship, students will spend the morning at their designated company. They will have a one-hour lunch break followed by a maths, technology, or "maths career choices" lesson during the afternoon.
Students will be supervised in the office by a mentor. In addition to helping with administrative tasks, students will be expected to complete maths exercises that introduce them to maths concepts used in the profession on a simplified level. The mentor will help the students to choose a maths-related project and they can complete their project during the summer in advance of presenting it to their peers at the end of the programme.
The programme is open to all S2s at the Berkeley Institute and the entrance requirements are that the students are prepared to work hard and commit to a summer of mathematics activities and to take the GCSE exam in November.
Anyone wishing to register their children for the programme can email beckyandmarcello@ibl.bm
